


soaring, flying (there's not a star in heaven that we can't reach)

by mirkandmidnight



Category: Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld
Genre: Airplanes, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Meetings, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2015-08-31
Packaged: 2018-04-18 09:10:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4700375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirkandmidnight/pseuds/mirkandmidnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ah, yes, the "I hate flying and you never shut up oh my god what is wrong with you" AU this fandom needed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	soaring, flying (there's not a star in heaven that we can't reach)

**Author's Note:**

> Title from High School Musical. Because that's what I needed today.

Alek closed his eyes and gripped the armrests of his seat so tightly his knuckles white. The engine of the plane roared beneath him. Alek’s stomach churned in roiling panic. He hated flying. He’d always hated flying. Alek wouldn’t even have been on this plane if he could have gotten train ticket.

The person next to him seemed to have no such qualms, though. They (he couldn’t quite tell, and it seemed a bit rude to assume) had earbuds in their ears and were nodding along to whatever song was blasting through the speakers. He could hear it, faintly.

They opened their eyes, which were a startling shade of blue, and found themself staring straight at Alek. They jumped, one earbud falling out of their ear. “Oh, um, hello, I’m Deryn Sharp. She/her pronouns, please.” she said.

“I’m Alek,” he offered. She took his hand and gave him a firm handshake. The only thought that ran through his head was that, seven hells, this girl was strong.

Deryn grinned. “So, where are you off to, then? Well, Scotland, obviously, we’re on the same plane.”

He offered up a weak smile. “I’m meeting my tutor at the airport for some kind of independent study.”

“Ohh, neat. I’m coming home from visiting my aunt Nora.” Deryn frowned. “Are you all right? You don’t look so well.”

Alek swallowed and resumed his death grip on the armrests. “Oh, it’s nothing, I’m just not all that fond of flying.”

Deryn’s eyes widened. “You’re joking. How can you not like flying? Do you hate breathing as well?”

“I take it you do?”

“Dead right,” she exclaimed, and launched into a story about how her father was a hot air balloon pilot for a tourism sort of thing when she as a child, and how he’d take her up in one of the balloons sometimes, if she behaved. Alek had to wonder what he’d be like if his own childhood had been that simple. Growing up as the illegitimate son of one of the richest men alive hadn’t exactly been easy, not when paparazzi hounded your every footstep.

“And what does your father do now?” he asked.

A shadow passed over Deryn’s face. “He died,” she said, making it perfectly clear that line of conversation was at an end. “Well, what about your dad? What does he do?”

“He’s um, a businessman.” Alek tried to sound casual, probably failing miserably at it.

“What’s the business?”

“Hohenburg Industries.”

Deryn rolled her eyes, clearly impatient at his reticence. “And what does he do there? Blisters, it’s like pulling teeth with you, isn’t it?”

Alek cleared his throat. “He’s the CEO.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Ooh, you’re barking rich, then. I feel like I’m sitting with royalty.”

He attempted to be modest. “And I’m not even a proper heir. I was born out of wedlock, so there’s a loophole that I can’t inherit.”

“Oh, pardon me, your illegitimate princeliness. I didn’t mean to offend your delicate sensibilities.”

“Stop that,” he said crossly.

She snorted. “Sorry, but that’s hilarious. They put the son of the richest man in Europe and the daughter of a poor Scottish man together and expect us not to kill each other? Really?”

“Quite,” he replied. “Their faith in humanity is astonishing.”

“Well, aren’t you posh?” she remarked. “Born with a silver spoon in your mouth, weren’t you?” He smiled a tight lipped smile, and her face fell. “Blisters. I’ve said something wrong, haven’t I? Always doing that, me.” Deryn grinned. “If I say something you don’t like, feel free to give me an elbow to the gut.”

“Um...all right?” The more he talked to Deryn, the more he wondered about the strange girl. Her behavior and mannerisms were so completely beyond what he had ever experienced in another human being. Although, to be fair, Alek didn’t make a point of associating with the lower classes that often.

“Or, if you prefer, I can shut my gob and leave you in peace,” Deryn added, eyeing him with no little amount of concern.

So, of course, that was the moment the plane chose to start shaking. Alek’s fingers clamped like a vise around the armrests, and he was certain his face was the color of spoiled milk.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain Hobbes speaking.” The intercom crackled to life above them. “I regret to inform you that we are experiencing some minor turbulence. All passengers should remain in their seats with their seatbelts securely fastened until further notice. Thank you for your patience.”

Deryn bounced up down a little in her seat. Alek scowled. Was she insane? This was nothing to be happy about, what was she doing?

“Ooh, this is right exciting, isn’t it?” she said, eyes sparkling with glee. “Getting a bit bouncy up here.” The plane hit another pocket of air, and Alek winced. “Or maybe not. You all right?”

“As I’ve said,” Alek gritted out, “I’m not really fond of flying, and the bouncing isn’t really helping.”

“Oh,” Deryn said, then paused. “Sorry. Anything I can do to help? Shut up? Do a jig? Fetch you a pineapple?”

“Just keep talking, it seems to come naturally to you.” He paused, turning the statement over in his head. Well. That was a bit rude.

But Deryn only laughed. “Didn’t know you had a sense of humor, your princeliness. And bloody right, my mum would agree with you.” Then she launched into a story, something about her best friend Newkirk (“He’s a good lad, that, if a wee bit dull at times.”) and the time they went sledding in the woods, and there was something about a bear?

Anyway, the story was completely ludicrous and no one in their right mind would believe it. But somehow, Alek found his fingers loosening from the armrests and his tensed shoulders relaxing. And by the end, he almost found himself snorting with laughter.

So what? It was a funny story, and Deryn was quite expressive in telling it, waving her hands about and grinning like a madman the whole way through.

“Well,” Deryn said as she came to the end of the story. “That’s the end of the turbulence, I suppose.”

Alek looked around, shocked to find out the plane had completely stopped tilting about and that passengers were moving about the cabin.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We are pleased to announce that we will be landing in Glasgow in five minutes time. Please return to your seats and take a moment to fasten your seatbelts. Thank you for flying Leviathan Airlines.”

“I suppose that’s it, then,” Deryn said, sticking out her hand and smiling an odd smile.

Alek took her outstretched hand and raised an eyebrow. “Not necessarily,” he said. “Hand me your phone?”

She dug in her pocket and pulled out a scratched up flip phone.

“Really?” Alek said as he programmed himself into her contacts.

“Huh?” Deryn said, looking up distractedly. “Oi, be nice to it. It hasn’t done anything to you. Just because it’s not all fancy like yours, you rich bumrag,” and she punched his shoulder lightly, then smiled.

Alek handed her phone over and returned the smile. Somehow he had the feeling this was the beginning of something entirely foreign. And he wasn’t afraid at all.

**Author's Note:**

> I never know what to write for these freaking things. Just...I apologize.


End file.
